Barely-Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds

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Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds is amazing with the fried almonds adding crunch and the Feta adding tangy flavor. DO NOT skip the fried almonds!

PIN Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds to make it later!

I first made this Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds back in 2013 and then (sob!) it kind of disappeared into the archives of the blog and I forgot about it for a while. Then a few months ago I made it for a family party where kids came to my house to play and the moms and grandmothers came to hang out. And WOW! Everyone at the party went crazy over this simple salad with big flavors, and after I’d made it for another party and then once more just for myself, I started to think this recipe really needed better photos.

So I made the salad recently and snapped some better pictures, which I hope will entice you to try it if you’ve never made this amazing salad. I originally found the recipe in Fine Cooking Annual Volume 2, and adapted it just a little from the version that Tasha DeSerio created for Fine Cooking. I loved everything about the combination of flavors here, including the very garlicky dressing, but please, please, please do not skip the fried almonds. And if you wanted to use a bit more Feta that certainly couldn’t hurt either.

I’m not one of those people who minds raw broccoli in a salad, but in this recipe I thought blanching the broccoli cooked it just enough so it worked perfectly with the red wine vinegar dressing, Feta, and fried almonds. Are you getting the message that you MUST make this salad!

How to Make Barely-Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe plus nutritional information.)

1. Trim broccoli into same-size flowerets; then blanch for exactly 3 minutes in boiling water and dump into colander to drain. 
2. Mash together the garlic clove and salt, then add the red wine vinegar and hot pepper flakes and let it sit for 10 minutes. 
3. Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan, add almonds and fry until the almonds are golden brown.  (Watch them carefully; this only takes 2-3 minutes and they can get too brown rather quickly if you’re not careful.)
4. Drain the fried almonds on paper towels.  (You can season them with salt if you want to, but I didn’t)
5. Crumble enough Feta to make 1/2 cup. (Or use more if you’d like; more Feta is always good, right?)
6. Whisk the olive oil into the vinegar-garlic mixture to make the dressing. Stir together the broccoli, feta, and half the almonds and toss with the dressing.
7. Serve salad right away, sprinkling the rest of the almonds on top.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds would be a great side dish for Air Fryer Salmon, Greek Lemon Chicken, or Baked Greek Meatballs for a low-carb meal.

More Tasty Recipes with Broccoli:

Quick Roasted Broccoli with Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Broccoli and Asparagus Frittata ~ A Mind Full Mom
Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Tangy Mustard Broccoli Slaw with Mango ~ Aggie’s Kitchen
Low-Carb Baked Mini-Frittatas with Broccoli and Three Cheeses ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Baked Chicken Parmesan and Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal ~ Rachel Cooks

Print

Barely-Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds

Yield 4 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds is an amazing combination of flavors.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. salt (I used kosher salt)
• 1 lb. broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into same-size florets
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• generous pinch hot pepper flakes (I used Aleppo pepper; see note.)
• 5 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Instructions

1. Fill a medium-sized pot with water, add 1 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil.  While the water is heating, trim the broccoli crowns and cut into bite-sized flowerets.  (Make them all the same size so they will cook the same amount.)  When water is boiling, add the broccoli, cook for exactly 3 minutes, then drain broccoli into a colander placed in the sink and let it cool.
2. Mash the garlic with 1/4 tsp. salt.  (I used a Mortar and Pestle (affiliate link), but you can use anything that will smash up the garlic.)  Mix in the hot pepper flakes and red wine vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Heat 1 T of olive oil in a heavy frying pan, add the almonds, and fry until they are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.  (Watch carefully because they can go from lightly browned to burned rather quickly.)  Put the almonds on a plate covered with a paper towel and let almonds cool a few minutes.  (You can salt them if you want, but I thought the salad was salty enough with the Feta.)
4. After 10 minutes, whisk the remaining 4 T of olive oil into the vinegar-garlic mixture.  Combine the broccoli, Feta, and half the almonds in a bowl; then toss with the dressing to coat.  Serve salad right away, with remaining almonds sprinkled over the top.

Notes

I love Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link) for any recipe where you want a little spicy pepper flavor, but any red pepper flakes will work. This recipe found in Fine Cooking Annual Volume 2; I adapted it just a little from the version that Tasha DeSerio created for Fine Cooking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 366mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions: 
Broccoli, Feta cheese, and almonds are all great low choices for most any low-carb eating plan, and this Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds would also be good for any phase of the South Beach Diet if you use portion control on the Feta, and I wouldn’t have nuts for a snack on the day you have the salad.

Find More Recipes Like This One:

Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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